Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come before His presence with singing.
PSALM 100:2
These words are inscribed above the Princeton University Chapel arch
under which all Westminster students pass in the Commencement procession.
Rider University Statement of Community Values
In our endeavor to make Rider University a just community, we commit ourselves, as caring individuals, to the
following principles:
• that our rigorous intellectual life nourishes our minds and spirits;
• that no person travels these halls as a stranger;
• that integrity of word and deed forms the foundation of all relationships;
• that we recognize that real leadership is derived from service to others;
• that we celebrate our differences for they are our strength;
• that we are proud of this special place, entrusted to us by past generations, nurtured by us for future ones;
• that we share not one Truth, but respect our common pursuit for understanding;
• and through the time we spend here, we are forever joined to each other and to Rider University.
Adopted on University Day, April 12, 2001
•
Rider University wishes to express appreciation to
President Christopher L. Eisgruber and Princeton University
for the use of the Chapel for this ceremony.
2
Rider University Board of Trustees
Chair: Michael B. Kennedy ’72, ’75
Vice Chair: Ernestine (Mickey) Lazenby Gast (WCC) ’68
Secretary: Christopher Nikolich ’92
President: Gregory G. Dell’Omo
Ralph Anderson, Jr. ’81
Louise Hall Beard (WCC) ’71
Alberto Baptiste ’80
F. Christopher Carothers ’91, ’94
Robert Christie ’76
Jeffrey Cornelius (WCC) ’70
E. Bruce DiDonato ’76
Jaimie Gilhooley Flack (WCC) ’77
Molly O’Neil Frank
John Guarino ’82
Michael Hennessy ’82
Thomas Marino ’69
Terry McEwen ’98
Donald Monks ’70
Eli Mordechai ’90
Thomas M. Mulhare ’70
Lewis J. Pepperman
Denise Petitta ’86, ’91
William (Bill) M. Rue ’69
Mika Ryan
Robert S. Schimek ’87
Colleen (Stacy) Shapiro
Gary L. Shapiro ’72
Arthur J. Stainman ’65
Alan Wexler ’85, ’90
•
Westminster Choir College
Student Government Association Executive Board
President: Kayla McLaughlin
Vice President: Jessica Stanislawczyk
Treasurer: Liam Velez
Secretary: José Guilherme Schmaedecke Proença
3
Senior Class Officers
President: Kathleen Dunn
Vice President: Allison Beres
Treasurer: Robert Lamb
Secretary: Samantha Meril
Dean’s Advisory Council
The Dean’s Advisory Council for Rider University’s Westminster College of the Arts is a select group of influential
men and women who are committed to the advancement of the College. The Council provides advice and counsel
to the Dean on the continuing development and evolution of the College. Members provide volunteer leadership for
the advancement program and work to promote and enhance the image and stature of the College of the Arts and its
components, both regionally and nationally.
Josalee Morrell Birchfield ’55
James P. Busterud
Aaron E. Gast
Ernestine (Mickey) L. Gast ’68
P. Randolph Hill
John F. Kelsey, III
Ira Lomench
Howard McMorris, II
Thomas Mulhare ’70
Lynn O. Nagy
Dr. Donna Jean Plasket ’71, ’83
Marvin R. Reed
Dr. Christopher Bagby Samuel ’80, ’82
Colleen (Stacy) Shapiro
Margaret L. Stevens
Christine Wainwright
4
Emeritus
Dr. Joseph Beck, ’59 (ex-officio)
Janice Silcox Bonge ’55
Fred N. Buch ’59
Molly O'Neil Frank
Inocencio Linhares ’52
Margaret L. MacLaren-Ulrich
Ruth E. Simpkins
Westminster Choir College Alumni Council
President: Constance M. Fee ’71
Vice President: James Busby ’85, ’92
Secretary: Anthony J. Rafaniello ’05
Alumni Trustee/Past President: Jaimie Gilhooley Flack ’77
Anthony C. Baron ’11
Elizabeth M. Bewie ’02
Laurie Eisenbrown Bischof ’90
Darren Dailey ’89
Robert A. McCormick ’01
Christopher Bagby Samuel ’80, ’82
Jonathan Slawson ’09
Betsy Cook Weber ’82
Thomas E. Faracco ’71, ’79
Robert Ivey ’58, ’59
Kristin Ditlow-Yuan ’05
•
5
Program
PLEASE HOLD ALL APPLAUSE UNTIL THE CONCLUSION OF COMMENCEMENT
BRASS: Fanfare for the Lord Mayor of London
Sir Arthur Bliss
(1891-1975)
Ryan Brandau, conductor
ORGAN: Organ Sonata, Op. 28
I. Allegro maestoso
Edward Elgar
(1857-1934)
Daryl Robinson, organ
HANDBELLS: La Paix
Westminster Concert Bell Choir
Kathleen Ebling Shaw ’85, conductor
ORGAN: Deux Esquisses, Op. 41
II. B-flat Minor
James Roman mm’16, organ
BRASS AND ORGAN: Feierlicher Einzug
INTROIT: All Night Vigil, Op. 37
Westminster Chapel Choir
Joe Miller, conductor
FANFARE: Fanfare for the Common Man
Solid Brass Ensemble
James Jordan, conductor
PROCESSION: Processional
Daryl Robinson, organ
INTRODUCTION
INVOCATION
6
Marcel Dupré
(1886-1971)
Richard Strauss
(1864–1949)
arr. Daniel Beckwith ’77, mm’79
James Jordan, conductor
VI. Bogoroditse Devo
Julie Stitt
(b. 1958)
Sergei Rachmaninoff
(1873–1943)
Aaron Copland
(1900–1990)
Warren Martin ’36, MM’38
(1916–1982)
DonnaJean Fredeen
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Catherine E. Williams ’90
Associate Pastor of Pastoral Care
Princeton United Methodist Church
HYMN: Praise to the Lord, the Almighty *
Joe Miller, conductor
WELCOME
Lobe Den Herren
arr. Richard Webster
(b. 1952)
Gregory G. Dell’Omo
President of the University
ANTHEM: I Can Tell the World
arr. Moses Hogan
(1957-2003)
Joe Miller, conductor
COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS
Alan Gilbert
ANTHEM OF THE GRADUATING CLASSES: Barter
Alan Schlichting ’16
(b. 1994)
Text: Sara Teasdale
(1884-1933)
Tyler Weakland ’16, conductor
Life has loveliness to sell,
All beautiful and splendid things,
Blue waves whitened on a cliff,
Soaring fire that sways and sings,
And children's faces looking up
Holding wonder like a cup.
Life has loveliness to sell,
Music like a curve of gold,
Scent of pine trees in the rain,
Eyes that love you, arms that hold,
And for your spirit’s still delight,
Holy thoughts that star the night.
Spend all you have for loveliness,
Buy it and never count the cost;
For one white singing hour of peace
Count many a year of strife well lost,
And for a breath of ecstasy
Give all you have been, or could be.
CHARGE TO THE DEGREE CANDIDATES
Dr. Stefan Young
Professor of Theory and Composition
ANTHEM: Anthem of DedicationMartin
Joe Miller, conductor
*All who are willing and able are invited to stand and join in singing at the signal of the conductor.
7
PRESENTATION OF DEGREE CANDIDATES
DonnaJean Fredeen
Matthew Shaftel
Dean of the College
Marshall Onofrio
Associate Dean of the College
CONFERRING OF DEGREES IN COURSE
Master of Music
Master of Music Education
Master of Voice Pedagogy
Bachelor of Music/Master of Arts in Teaching
Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Arts in Music
PRESENTATION and vesting OF HONORARY DEGREE Candidate
CONFERRING OF HONORARY DEGREE
Ernestine Lazenby Gast ’68
Trustee of the University
Gregory Dell’Omo
Alan Gilbert
ANTHEM: The Promise of Living Copland
James Jordan, conductor
HYMN: When the Morning Stars Together *
Weisse Flaggen
arr. Hal H. Hopson
(b. 1933)
James Jordan, conductor
CLOSING WORDS: Into the World Singing
James D. Moyer ’86
BENEDICTION: The Lord Bless You and Keep You
Joe Miller, conductor
RETIRING PROCESSION: Pictures at an Exhibition
Dawn Skjei Cooley
The Great Gate of Kiev
Ryan Brandau, conductor
Peter Christian Lutkin
(1858–1931)
Modest Moussorgsky
(1839–1881)
adapted from Ravel’s orchestration
for brass, organ and percussion
by Douglas Haislip
ORGAN POSTLUDE: Prelude and Fugue in B Major, Op. 7, No. 1
Daryl Robinson, organ
8
*All who are willing and able are invited to stand and join in singing at the signal of the conductor.
Dupré
Participants in the Ceremony
Solid Brass Ensemble
Phil Frowery ’66, Mace Bearer
Tom T. Shelton, Jr., Chief Marshal
Cindy Threatt, President’s Party Marshal
Scott Hoerl, Administration Marshal
Margaret Cusack, Faculty Marshal
Donna Jean Plasket ’71, mm’83 and John F. Kelsey, III, Dean’s Advisory Council Marshals
Kathryn Moyer ’86 and Alex Wolniak ’06, Alumni Council Marshals
Evan Rieger ’16, Gonfalonier
•
9
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
° #3
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& 4 œœ œœ œ
unis. 1.
parts 2.
parts 3.
unis. 4.
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Lord, the al - might - y,
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all things
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Lord! O let
all that
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thy health and sal - va
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with prais - es be - fore
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tion!
eth,
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WORDS: Joachim Neander 1650-1680 Trans. by Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878)
TUNE: from Erneuerten Gesangbuch, 1665
10
œœ œ œœ
œ
œœ œœ œœ ˙œ ™ œ œ
His tem - ple draw near;
de - sires e’er have been
Al - might - y can
do,
His peo - ple a - gain:
œ œœ
œ
King of cre - a
won -drous - ly reign
work and de - fend
in me a - dore
œœ
soul, praise Him, for
he
is
thee un - der His wings, yea,
His good - ness and mer - cy
hath life and breath, come now
œœ
the
so
thy
is
˙œ ™ œ
œ
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-
˙™
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tion!
eth!
thee.
Him!
˙™
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œœ œœ œœ
All ye who
Hast thou not
Pon - der a Let the A -
œœ œœ œœ
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˙˙ ™
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Join me
Grant -ed
If with
Glad - ly
in
in
His
for
glad
what
love
aye
ad - o - ra
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we a - dore
™
n œ œ ˙˙ ™
-
tion!
eth?
thee.
Him.
˙™
˙™
Lobe Den Herren
ARR: Richard Webster (b. 1952)
All rights reserved. Reprinted under OneLicense.net #A-713820
When the Morning Stars Together
bbb 4
b
( b b b b 4 œœ œ œ œ
( 4
œ œ œ
all 1. When the
1. When the
in
all 2.
in
all 3.
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choir only
choir only
Lord, and
we
all 3.
4. Voice
all 4. Lord, we
b
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in - -stru
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to and
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touch the
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œ œ œ œ
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all shout - ed
and the an - gel
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WORDS: Albert F. Bayly (1901-1984)
and
and
house
house
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praise.
hearts.
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heav - ens
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you - ens
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rang,
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ways.
ways.
arts.
arts.
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- ul - tant
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mu mu made
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of Lord,
Lord,
sic
told,
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told,
ac
cord,
fac’ring- brought,
f ’ring brought,
and
give
and
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splen - dor which your might - y
works un - fold.
y
splen
dor which
works
un - Lord.
fold.
and your
all might
knew - your
wor --ship
pres - ence,
and
your - pres
wor --ship
Lord.
po - all
et knew
and com
Spir
it,
pos --ence,
er wrought.
po - in
et serv
and - ing
com - pos
Spir
it,
and,
fy - you,
ful - er
ly wrought.
live.
fy you, and, in serv - ing
ful - ly live.
Weisse Flaggen
ARR: Hal Hopson (b. 1933)
All rights reserved. Reprinted under OneLicense.net #A-713820
11
Commencement Address
ALAN GILBERT
New York Philharmonic Music Director Alan Gilbert began his tenure in September 2009, and he is the first native
New Yorker to be appointed to that post. He simultaneously maintains a major international presence, making
regular guest appearances with orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Royal
Concertgebouw Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Munich
Philharmonic, Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, and Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio
France. Gilbert is Conductor Laureate of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, where he served as Music Director for
eight years, and was Principal Guest Conductor of the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra (formerly known as NDR
Symphony Orchestra Hamburg) for more than a decade. He has led operatic productions for the Metropolitan
Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Zurich Opera, Royal Swedish Opera, and Santa Fe Opera, where he served as the first
appointed Music Director.
At the New York Philharmonic, he has widened the artistic reach of the 174-year-old institution. He initiated annual
residencies for composers and leading performing artists and led staged productions of Ligeti's Le Grand Macabre,
Janácek's Cunning Little Vixen, Stravinsky's Petrushka, and Honegger’s Joan of Arc at the Stake to great acclaim.
Gilbert also encouraged the development of two series devoted to contemporary music: CONTACT!, introduced in
2009, and the NY PHIL BIENNIAL, an exploration of today’s music by a wide range of contemporary and modern
composers, which was inaugurated in 2014 and returns in 2016. Last season’s release of Nielsen’s three concertos
completed Gilbert’s “Nielsen Project” with the New York Philharmonic: four albums representing the complete
symphonies and concertos on Denmark’s Dacapo label that celebrated the Dane’s 150th birthday. In August 2015
he led the Mahler Chamber Orchestra in the United States stage premiere of George Benjamin’s Written on Skin, a
special co-production of the New York Philharmonic and Lincoln Center.
Gilbert is Director of Conducting and Orchestral Studies and holds the William Schuman Chair in Musical Studies
at the Juilliard School. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut to great acclaim in 2008 conducting John Adams’s
Doctor Atomic, the DVD of which received a GRAMMY Award. Renée Fleming’s Decca recording Poèmes, on which
he conducted, received a 2013 GRAMMY Award. In May 2010 Mr. Gilbert received an honorary Doctor of Music
degree from the Curtis Institute of Music, and in December 2011 Columbia University’s Ditson Conductor’s Award
for his “exceptional commitment to the performance of works by American composers and to contemporary music.”
He was elected to The American Academy of Arts & Sciences in 2014, named an Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des
Lettres by the French government in 2015, was honored with the Foreign Policy Association Medal in 2015, and
was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Direction of the New York Philharmonic’s acclaimed
production of Sweeney Todd, broadcast on PBS’s Live from Lincoln Center in 2015. He also gave the 2015 lecture for
London’s Royal Philharmonic Society, speaking on “Orchestras in the 21st Century – a new paradigm.”
12
Charge to the Degree Candidates
STEFAN YOUNG
Stefan Young is Professor of Theory and Composition at Westminster Choir College of Rider University. His
music studies began with his parents, Raymond and Ruth Young, and continued with Edwin Hughes, Thomas
Brockman, Nadia Boulanger, Jean Casasdesus, Robert Casadesus, Annette Dieudonne, Mieczyslaw Munz, Robert
Moevs, and Rolv Yttrehus. He received a Bachelor of Music from Rollins College; certificates in harmony, piano,
and solfège from The American School of the Arts in Fontainebleau, France; a Master of Music in Piano from The
Juilliard School; and a doctorate in Composition from Rutgers University. He has won numerous honors and awards
throughout his career. His compositions cover a variety of media: orchestra, band, choir, chamber ensemble, voice
and piano, and various solo instruments. His CD, Anthology of Art Songs, is available at Arabesque Recordings. His
composition The Call of the Muse for choir, two pianos, percussion, and organ was presented at a recent Opening
Convocation of the Choir College.
Dr. Young directs Composition Week for young composers during the summer, coordinates three yearly student
composition concerts and organizes the composer project with the Westminster Community Orchestra. His other
activities include judging the statewide Music Educators Association composition contest and the Cecilian Music
Club composition contest, leading composition and piano master classes throughout New Jersey, and serving as staff
pianist for the Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association, where he participates in services, community sings,
concerts and the Grand Illumination, whose audiences range from 100 to 5,000.
13
Degree Candidates
The following is a list of candidates for degrees. Indication of graduation honors is based upon the cumulative grade
point average after the conclusion of the fall semester. The official roster of degree recipients and the final calculation
of graduation honors are recorded in the Office of the Registrar of the University.
+ Degree candidates with this symbol completed their degree requirements in December 2015.
* Degree candidates with this symbol are expected to complete their degree requirements by August 2016.
•
s
Students with this symbol have contributed to the Class of 2016 Scholarship Fund (as of April 28, 2016). This gift
supports a scholarship in honor of the Class of 2016 to be awarded during the 2016-17 academic year to sophomores
whose financial situations may hinder their ability to complete their studies. Each graduate who contributed $19.26
or more, in honor of Westminster’s founding year, was presented with a Westminster lapel pin to proudly wear
today at Commencement.
14
Master of Music
Kirsten L. Anderson
Olivia Sue Greene
Alexandra Pitocchi
Minjae Back +
Olfary Gutierrez * s
Scott Purcell
Sean Burns
Amanda Carolee Habner
Voice Pedagogy and Performance
With distinction
Piano Pedagogy and Performance
Organ Performance
Alicia Joy Cadmus
Music Education
With distinction
Thomas J. Carle
Voice Pedagogy and Performance
With distinction
Peter Andrew Carter * s
Organ Performance
Samuel Cho +
Voice Pedagogy and Performance
David A. Conley
Choral Conducting
With distinction
Elizabeth Perry Couchoud *
Voice Pedagogy and Performance
With distinction
Jane Anne Dominick
Voice Pedagogy and Performance
With distinction
Voice Pedagogy and Performance
With distinction
Voice Pedagogy and Performance
Voice Pedagogy and Performance
With distinction
Tak Kin Ho * s
Piano Pedagogy and Performance
With distinction
Voice Pedagogy and Performance
With distinction
James Joseph Roman III
Organ Performance
With distinction
Sacred Music
With distinction
William A. Sawyer
Tiffany Ho
Christopher Robert Schimpf *
Voice Pedagogy and Performance
With distinction
Abigail Leigh Kempson
Sacred Music
Piano Performance
American and Public Musicology
With distinction
Voice Pedagogy and Performance
With distinction
Jennifer Suragiat
Elizabeth Anne Kowal
Grace Elizabeth Svatek
Voice Pedagogy and Performance
With distinction
Voice Pedagogy and Performance
With distinction
Karen Jessica Lackey
Raymond C. Trapp s
Voice Pedagogy and Performance
Voice Pedagogy and Performance
With distinction
Sacred Music
Justin William Langford s
Voice Pedagogy and Performance
With distinction
Choral Conducting
With distinction
Morgan Whitney Ulyat
Matthew B. Van Dyke
Composition
Choral Conducting
With distinction
Jack Phillip Lyons
Jeffrey K. Vanderlee
Voice Pedagogy and Performance
Choral Conducting
Genevieve Elizabeth McGahey
Cheuk Yee Wong *
Voice Pedagogy and Performance
With distinction
Voice Pedagogy and Performance
With distinction
Raymond E. Nugent
Kexin Xu
Voice Pedagogy and Performance
Piano Pedagogy and Performance
With distinction
Voice Pedagogy and Performance
With distinction
Moira Susan Gannon
Keara Eileen Parciak s
Lijie Zheng +
William Edsel Doreza
Sacred Music
Fiona B. Ellis
Choral Conducting
Corey S. Everly
Piano Accompanying and Coaching
With distinction
Erica Marie Finnie
Voice Pedagogy and Performance
With distinction
Derrick Michael Goff
Voice Pedagogy and Performance
With distinction
David Ross Lawn
Sacred Music
With distinction
Piano Performance
Ivy Zhou
Voice Pedagogy and Performance
With distinction
15
Master of Music Education
Adam David Kishbauch +
With distinction
Jamie MaeLynn Ryder
With distinction
Master of Voice Pedagogy
Cecilia Angelica Montemayor Cárdenas +
Bachelor of Music/Master of Arts in Teaching
Lisa Marjorey Bassett
Rebecca Larre Dias *
Julianne Elise Michalik s
Jonathan E. DeHart
Jonathon Austin Feinstein * s
Rebecca Joy Witt +
B.M.—Summa cum laude
M.A.T.—With distinction
B.M.—Magna cum laude
M.A.T.—With distinction
B.M.—Summa cum laude
M.A.T.—With distinction
B.M.— Magna cum laude
Allison G. Griffiths
B.M.—Summa cum laude
M.A.T.—With distinction
B.M.—Summa cum laude
M.A.T.—With distinction
B.M.—Summa cum laude
M.A.T.—With distinction
Bachelor of Music
Faith Altar Alacar + s
Sara Anne Boyd +
Sinclair Edan Avramis
Kathleen Ariadna Carreras
Pereira
Music Education
Magna cum laude
Voice Performance
Allison Patricia Beres s
Music Education
Summa cum laude
Adam W. Bergstresser * s
Sacred Music
Organ Performance
Magna cum laude
Adrienne C. Bertsche
Voice Performance
Summa cum laude
Baccalaureate Honors
Simer S. Bhatia
Theory/Composition
Magna cum laude
16
Piano
Summa cum laude
Priscilla L. Faustini s
Sacred Music
Jonathon Austin Feinstein * s
Voice Performance
Magna cum laude
Voice Performance
Summa cum laude
Karina Fengler
Jordan Steven Carroll s
Baccalaureate Honors
Baccalaureate Honors
Music Education
Magna cum laude
Alyssa René Christian *
Music Education
Robert N. Colby-Witanek
Piano
Summa cum laude
Victor Sabino
Azarcon Cristobal * s
Theory/Composition
Music Education
Summa cum laude
Amanda Taylor Garcia-Walker
Music Education
Summa cum laude
Kristin Marie Hill
Music Education
Summa cum laude
Shanley Michelle Horvitz
Voice Performance
Cum laude
Lauren J. Kelly
Voice Performance
Magna cum laude
Baccalaureate Honors
Jessica Virginia Kerler s
Voice Performance
Summa cum laude
Garrett Sharif Kheshtinejad
Music Education
Magna cum laude
Joseph C. Kim +
Music Education
Magna cum laude
Sarah Kathleen Labrie +
Music Education
Summa cum laude
Logan Erin Laudenslager s
Voice Performance
Summa cum laude
Lauren Michelle Lazzari s
Sacred Music
Magna cum laude
Thomas Bernard Lynch s
Shauna Lee McQuerrey
Voice Performance
Cum laude
Melanie Sarah Mendel
Evan Ryan Rieger
Music Education
Summa cum laude
Voice Performance
Magna cum laude
Samantha Elizabeth Meril s
Gabrielle Joyce San Roman
Julianne Elise Michalik s
Nicola Anne Santoro
Jessica Lynn Moreno * s
Caitlin Jennifer Scharar
Voice Performance
Summa cum laude
Piano
Summa cum laude
Voice Performance
Sara M. Munson
Robin R. Schott, Jr. s
Organ Performance
Sacred Music
Summa cum laude
Baccalaureate Honors
José Guilherme
Schmaedecke Proença s
Ryan Patrick McCann s
Music Education
Magna cum laude
Kayla Emrick McLaughlin s
Music Education
Magna cum laude
Voice Performance
Cum laude
Bethan Kanoa Neely s
John Joseph Maenhout
Music Education
Summa cum laude
Voice Performance
Magna cum laude
Alan Joseph Schlichting
Alyssa Rebecca Pereira
Ryan Austin Manni s
Music Education
Summa cum laude
Voice Performance
Music Education
Summa cum laude
Voice Performance
Magna cum laude
Theory/Composition
Summa cum laude
Elizabeth Franklin Richter s
Music Education
Summa cum laude
Music Education
Music Education
Magna cum laude
Arielle Kayla Rabano s
Music Education
Summa cum laude
Christina Marie Regan s
Music Education
Cum laude
Casey E. Rice
Music Education
Magna cum laude
Theory/Composition
Summa cum laude
Sacred Music
Jessica Rose Stanislawczyk s
Voice Performance
Summa cum laude
Baccalaureate Honors
Brynhildur Thora Thorsdottir
Voice Performance
Austin Michael Turner *
Music Education
Cum laude
Tiffany Lee Vickers s
Music Education
Summa cum laude
Tyler Daniel Weakland s
Sacred Music
Magna cum laude
Francis James Williams
Voice Performance
Bachelor of Arts in Music
Chaequan Caree Anderson * s
Katherine Shevaun Caughlin
Erin Leigh MacKenzie s
Cum laude
Summa cum laude
Nicole Elizabeth Michel s
Christina Nichole Farrell
Rachel Christine Morris
Magna cum laude
Lauren Elizabeth Handy
Cum laude
Magna cum laude
William Mosher s
Cum laude
Baccalaureate Honors
Tessa Máiréad Scortino s
Cum laude
Liam Javier Velez s
Magna cum laude
17
Awards
Who’s Who Among Students in
American Universities and Colleges
Shaun Bartole
Hannah Bass
Amanda Bezold
Kyle Bivens
Johanna Blume
Alexis Bonamassa
Savoia Buntin
Diamond Carr
Jessica Crowell-Graff
Alia Danch
Arden Dean
Christina Diecidue
Sandra DiGrazio
Caroline Forde
Allison Griffiths
Stephen Hopson
Rebecca Janicki
Andrew Jemas
Haley Johnston
Matthew Kolbusz
Kayla McLaughlin
Hunter Morgen
Katharine Rella
Tara Roach
Olivia Rosenberger
Rachel Safer
Tarah-Lynn Saint-Elien
Allison Sawka
Samantha Schimek
Jessica Stanislawczyk
Natalie Taptykoff
Tyler Weakland
Lucia White
Jenna Wilush
Student Government Awards
Cassie D. Iacovelli Student Government Award: Lucia White
Ralph Materia Memorial Award: Jarrett Case
The Michelle McCormack Award: Richard Kopp
The Linda Schmidt Memorial Award: Jennifer Cultrara
Student Government Outstanding Service Award: Victor Sabino Azarcon Cristobal
Andrew J. Rider Scholars
Sara Boyd*
Megan A. Coiley
Thomas C. Heidenreich*
Jessica Stanislawczyk**
Mallory E. Murphy*
Lydia P. Stepanoff
Aldo A. Aranzulla
Lauren Goldman
Michael S. McCormick
*Second-year scholar
** Third-year scholar
Rider University President’s Award
Christina Diecidue
18
Shaun Bartole
Jessica Stanislawczyk
Westminster Firsts
A Classical Legacy
1920
1977
Westminster Choir was established by John Finley
Williamson at the Westminster Presbyterian Church in
Dayton, Ohio.
Westminster Choir became the first chorus-in-residence
at the Spoleto Festival U.S.A. in Charleston, S.C., at the
invitation of Gian Carlo Menotti.
joined by President George W. Bush and former New
York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. • Westminster Symphonic Choir’s performance of Verdi’s Requiem with the
New Jersey Symphony was broadcast nationally by PBS.
1926
1978
2004
The Westminster Choir School was founded.
Westminster Choir established its own recording label,
copyrighted “Westminster Choir,” and released its first
recording: Six Motets of Johann Sebastian Bach, with guest
conductor Wilhelm Ehmann.
1928
Westminster Choir and the Cincinnati Symphony made
the nation’s first coast-to-coast radio broadcast, aired over
Station WLW.
1929
Westminster Choir College was established and moved to
Ithaca College.
1932
Westminster Choir College moved to Princeton, N.J.
1934
As the first official American guests of the Soviet
Union, with whom the United States had just resumed
diplomatic relations, Westminster Choir made the first
broadcast from Russia to the United States.
1938
Westminster Choir, with conductor and founder Dr. John
Finley Williamson, presented the first U.S. performance of
Joseph Haydn’s Passion (The Seven Last Words). The performance also featured a volunteer orchestra of Princetonians,
including Albert Einstein in the violin section. • The
Choir sang at the dedication of the New York World’s Fair.
1939
Westminster Choir sang for the first time with the New
York Philharmonic. Since then, it has set a record for the
number of joint performances—more than 350—by a
single choir and orchestra.
1957
Westminster Choir completed a five-month, globecircling tour under the auspices of the U.S. State
Department’s Cultural Exchange Program. The Choir
performed in 22 countries, traveled 40,000 miles and
appeared before 227,000 people.
1964
Westminster Choir sang on the Telstar World-Wide
Telecast in the spring for the opening ceremonies of the
New York World’s Fair. This reportedly was the largest
audience ever to see a television show at that time.
1965
For the first time the Choir appeared with three major
orchestras in one year: the Berlin Philharmonic, the
American Symphony Orchestra and The Philadelphia
Orchestra.
1971
Westminster Choir performed at the John F. Kennedy
Center for the Performing Arts during the inaugural week
of concerts with the Piedmont Chamber Orchestra under
the direction of Nicholas Harsanyi. The work performed
was The Dawn of Glory by Christian Latrobe.
1972
The Choir began its first summer as the chorus-inresidence for the Festival dei Due Mondi (Festival of
Two Worlds) in Spoleto, Italy, at the invitation of Gian
Carlo Menotti.
1980
Westminster Choir was the first choir to be featured on the
“ Live from Lincoln Center” telecast series over National
Public Television. The Choir performed Verdi’s Requiem
with the New York Philharmonic and Zubin Mehta.
1982
Westminster Choir was part of the 10,000th performance
of the New York Philharmonic, America’s oldest permanent orchestra.
1988
Westminster Choir sang Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms
with the New York Philharmonic under the composer’s
direction in a performance at Carnegie Hall celebrating
the 45th anniversary of Bernstein’s conducting debut with
the orchestra.
1990
Westminster Symphonic Choir sang in the Leonard
Bernstein memorial concert at the invitation of the
Bernstein family.
1991
Westminster Symphonic Choir performed at Carnegie
Hall’s 100th Anniversary Celebration.
1992
Westminster Choir College merged with Rider
University. • Westminster Symphonic Choir performed
in “A Tribute to Riccardo Muti” with The Philadelphia
Orchestra and Maestro Muti, a performance televised
nationally on the Arts & Entertainment Cable Network.
1993
Westminster Choir premiered Arise My Love by Stephen
Paulus, a gift from the composer to celebrate Joseph
Flummerfelt’s extraordinary career. • Westminster’s
artistic director, Joseph Flummerfelt, was named Musical
America’s 2004 Conductor of the Year, the first choral
conductor to be so honored.
2005
Westminster Symphonic Choir performed Ravel’s
Daphnis et Chloé (complete) for the first time with the
New York Philharmonic, conducted by Lorin Maazel.
2006
Westminster Symphonic Choir participated in the New
York Philharmonic’s first performance of Mozart’s Mass
in C Major, K. 317 “Coronation,” conducted by Lorin
Maazel. • Joe Miller appointed director of choral
activities and conductor of the Westminster Choir and the
Westminster Symphonic Choir.
2007
Rider University established Westminster College of the
Arts. • Westminster Williamson Voices presented the
North American premiere of James Whitbourn’s Annelies:
The Anne Frank Oratorio. • Westminster Symphonic
Choir opened the Carnegie Hall season performing
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Lucerne Festival
Orchestra, conducted by David Robertson.
2008
Westminster Kantorei participated in the world premiere
recording of John Magnussen’s Psalm, composed for the
Limón Dance Company.
2009
Westminster Choir and Joe Miller released their first
recording, Flower of Beauty.
2010
Conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch, Westminster Symphonic Choir participated in The Philadelphia Orchestra’s first performance of Britten’s War Requiem.
Westminster Williamson Voices premiered James
Whitbourn’s Requiem Canticorum, and the
Westminster Choir premiered Jaakko Mäntyjärvi’s
To a Locomotive in Winter.
1996
2012
Westminster Choir, conducted by Joseph Flummerfelt,
traveled on a concert tour of Korea and Taiwan and performed in the Colmar Music Festival in Colmar, France.
1999
Westminster Symphonic Choir performed the world
premiere of Kaija Saariaho’s Oltra Mar, 7 Preludes for the
New Millennium with the New York Philharmonic
conducted by Kurt Masur.
2001
Westminster Choir and the New York Philharmonic,
conducted by Joseph Flummerfelt, performed the world
premiere of Stephen Paulus’ Voices of Light, commissioned
by Rider University to celebrate the 75th anniversary of
the founding of Westminster Choir College.
2002
To commemorate the events of September 11, 2001,
Westminster Choir was featured in the PRI national radio
broadcast of “In the Shadow of the Towers.” They were
Westminster Symphonic Choir performed with Gustavo
Dudamel and the Simón Bolivar Symphony Orchestra
for the first time.
2014
The Westminster Williamson Voices’ and James Jordan’s
recording of James Whitbourn’s Annelies, the first major
choral setting of The Diary of Anne Frank, was nominated
for a GRAMMY Award for Best Choral Performance. •
Westminster Symphonic Choir performed the New York
premiere of Christopher Rouse’s Requiem with the New
York Philharmonic conducted by Alan Gilbert.
2015
Westminster Symphonic Choir performed Leonard
Bernstein’s Mass: A Theater Piece for Singers, Players
and Dancers for the first time with The Philadelphia
Orchestra conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin.
Westminster College of the Arts
Rider University’s Westminster College of the Arts
educates and trains aspiring performers, artists, teachers,
and students with artistic interests to pursue professional,
scholarly, and lifelong personal opportunities in art,
dance, music and theatre. The College consists of three
divisions: Westminster Choir College, the School of Fine
and Performing Arts and Westminster Conservatory.
Westminster Choir College is a college of music and
graduate school located in Princeton, N.J. Renowned
for its tradition of choral excellence, Westminster has
become a center of excellence in solo performance as
well. Its programs include music education; music theory
and composition; sacred music; voice, organ, and piano
performance and pedagogy; choral conducting; and piano
accompanying and coaching. Westminster’s graduates go
on to successful careers as performers and in leadership
positions in schools, churches, community organizations
and businesses around the world.
Westminster Conservatory of Music serves the Central
New Jersey/Eastern Pennsylvania area with on-campus
and community-based music instruction. The community
music school of Westminster College of the Arts, it offers a
superior faculty and tailors lessons, workshops and classes
to the needs of the individual student.
Rider University is a private co-educational university
with campuses in Lawrenceville and Princeton, New
Jersey, which emphasizes purposeful connections between
academic study and education for the professions. Its
four colleges – The College of Business Administration;
College of Liberal Arts, Education, and Sciences; the
College of Continuing Studies and Westminster College
of the Arts – provide dynamic undergraduate programs
in more than 60 areas and graduate programs in 18
specialties. Rider’s rigorous, hands-on learning prepares
students to think critically and communicate clearly to
become socially responsible leaders.
The School of Fine and Performing Arts is located on
Rider’s Lawrenceville campus. Its programs include arts
administration, dance, music studies, musical theatre,
popular music culture, theatre and visual arts. The
School provides many opportunities for all students to
participate in the arts.
•
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